Artificial leg



Nov. 21, 1939. J c. THOMPSON ARTIFICIAL LEG Filed Aug. 26, 1937 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 21,1939.

J. c. THOMPSON 2,181,031

ARTIFICIAL LEG 2 Sheets-Shet 2 Filed Aug. 26, 1957 (QZ/(l I 25 a5 96 3mmPatented Nov. 21, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

My invention relates to an artificial leg and it aims to provide a novelconstruction enabling the user to walk more naturally with greater ease.

It also aims to provide such a structure as avoids an ankle joint andits incidental constant trouble, to increase the life of the leg and toprovide a structure wherein a portion of theleg also constitutes aportion of the foot, wherein the U-bolt employed is not subject to thestrain of walking, and wherein the foot has two movements so as to causea shoe thereon to expand and maintain its natural shape, and aconstruction in which the foot works from the instep forward and the legworks from the instep backward.

The more specific objects and advantages will become apparent from aconsideration of the description following taken in connection withaccompanying drawings illustrating an operative embodiment. a

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an artificial leg constructed inaccordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a partial central vertical sectional view through theartificial leg;

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken on the plane of line 33 of Figure2; g

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional View taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a detail section taken on the line 55 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a detail section taken on the line 6-43 of Figure 3;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary inverted plan view of the foot;

Figure 8 is a detail section taken on the line 88 of Figure 7 and Figure9 is a detail horizontal section through the connection of the twoportions of the foot.

Referring specifically to the drawings l0 desig nates a leg section madeof wood or any other desired material and having an attaching or thighsection II pivotally connected thereto as at 52 for flexure insimulation of the knee joint.

A foot section is employed at I3 and is pivotally or flexibly connectedat the base of the leg section II] by a U-element or strap l4 having alower or bridge portion l5 engaged in a groove It in the undersurface ofthe foot section. The lower extremity of the leg section II] has a slotI! into which the rear end of the foot section l3 extends and at l8,an'inclined wall in the slot and an inclined wall on the foot sectionare engaged. Said foot section I3 is overlapped at the upper portion l9thereof by means of a spring plate 20 fastened as at 2| to the legavoids the use of an ankle joint and that the section H]. The aforesaidU-member of strap I4 at its arms or side portions 22 is fastened as at23 to the leg section.

It will be noted that the leg section as at 24,

at the heel or rearwardly of the foot section ex- 5 tends to the groundor walking surface.

Toe sections 25 are flexibly connected together as by interengagedeyelets 26' screwed one to each of them. At the junction line betweenthe toe sections and forward end of the foot, which 10 is diagonal asshown in Figures 3 and '7, there is a flexible plate or sheet 26, forinstance of leather, fastened as at 21 and 28, to the toe sections andto the foot section, respectively.

Said last mentioned sections adjacent the junc- 15 is a leather or otherflexible sheet 32, fastened to the toe sections as at 33 and to the footsection as at 34.

A leather or other flexible sheet 35 may extend across the lower end ofthe leg section, foot section and toe sections to be nailed or otherwisefastened in place as at 36. Said foot section and toe sections as wellas the leg section may advantageously be made of wood.

The lower or heel end of the leg section may be equipped with a wear andreinforcing plate as of metal as at 31.

It will be realized that the present invention foot section l3 worksfrom the instepforwardly and that the leg section works from the instepback, with the lower end of the leg constituting a portion of the foot.The strain is not on the U-member M, as a result. A shoe is adapted tobe worn on the lower end of the leg section over the foot section andtoe sections and since the foot section has two movements, it willexpand the shoe and keep the same in its natural shape.

Various changes may be resorted to provided they fall within the spiritand scope of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

An artificial leg comprising a rigid leg section having a slot in theforward portion of its lower end, a foot section interengaged in saidslot and terminating at a distance from the rear of the leg, said legsection having its lower surface rearward of the foot section insubstantially the same plane as the lower surface of the foot section,toe sections, means flexibly connecting the toe sections together, aresilient element overlapping the junction of the toe sections and footsection, and flexible means extending across said junction and connectedto the toe sections and 5 foot section.

JAMES C. THOMPSON.

